Punk
by J.L. Michaelsonn
Summary: A vampire chills in a small town ponderng his next move. Part one. Not much but an intro, but it will get more exciting please read & review.
1. Default Chapter Title

"Punk"  
by J.L. Michaelsonn  
  
Disclaimer: All things & characters that have to do this the Night World belong to L.J. Smith.  
I own Lucius ( pronounced LUCY-us, not LOO-shus), Dimitri, and the Willston twins.  
  
The icy gale whipped flakes of pure white snow past gaily decorated quaint little   
homes. Pine trees were set up in large glass picture windows, strung with lights and garlands,  
laced with delicate ornaments, topped with angel figurines or stars. The country-style homes   
were trimmed with colored or white lights, with electric candles glowing out of every window.  
The strip of downtown Gorham, New Hampshire, was also brightly-lit, the shops and restaurants   
gradually closing. The tiny area was a staunch little puritan town nestled away in a mountain  
valley.   
A new eatery called "The Raven's Quote" had recently opened, trying to catch the  
Christmas business. But unbeknownst to the amiable citizens of Gorham, an elaborate Black  
Iris club had set up shop beneath it.  
The stars shome brilliantly in the clear sky, only interrupted by partial clouds that spit   
snow ocaisionally down onto the already-blanketed ground. Snowflakes danced by the iron gate  
crudely grafitied with a black iris in spray paint.   
Behind it, was a bar. Rock music spilled from hidden speakers, and there was an empty  
stage whre musicians could belt it out. The lights were unusually low, and the people sitting at the bar   
and tables were very quiet. There was no TV blaring sports news, but there were a few billiards   
tables, some being occupied. So every minute or so, there was a clack or two.   
Lucius sat on a barstool, with the brown case that contained his electric guitar resting   
against his leg. He had once been nothing but a mere handsome young man, tall and far-seeing,   
but he had definately changed. His hair was spiked, mostly jet-black, with a patch of deep purple   
over the left side of his face. He had a small black metal rod through his eyebrow, and rings in his  
nostril, lip, and ears. A thick silver chain hung around his throat, and one dangled from a belt loop   
in his black pants. He had six tattoos on his arms, shown off by the once-proud blue-gray button-  
down shirt with the sleeves torn off. On his right shoulder was a large black rose with blood dripping   
from its thorns, a pentagram on his inner bicep, and a band around his forearm. Opposite that, he had   
a Virgo symbol on his left shoulder, a fanciful "L", and a big, colorful Chinese dragon. He wore a spiked   
bracelet, and his fingernails were black.  
He was Lucius Armand, a vampire punk. A rogue who loved little more than rock music   
and freedom. He had been in and out of different bands lately, as the frontman or just a backup guitarist.   
For some reason, he ended up just chilling at a club in nothen New Hampshire. Bored, he touched  
the glass of hot blood he ordered. It had cooled, but he had drank most of it, anyway.   
Maybe I should start my own band, he thought wistfully. Sure, it'd be nice.   
Lucius slid off his stool and paid the bartender, then slung on his tan leather jacket that had   
patches for punk bands on it. Hefting his guitar case, he heded out into the winter storm. 


	2. Default Chapter Title

"Punk, part Two"  
by J.L. Michaelsonn  
  
A/N: The diclaimer and pronounciation of Lucius's name (what the Hell, I'll just be nice   
& put it here: LUCY-us.) are on part one, aptly titled "Punk." But in all seriousness,  
please read part one first if you haven't yet, becuase that's where I have some important   
details. Okay, I think i'm done now. On to the story!  
P.S.: Thank you for coming. =)  
  
Lucius didn't have a chance to get very far. Outside of his humble apartment,  
there was a dark, parked car. He was smart enough to sense something suspicious. But  
the passengers had very strong shields against their thoughts. He just stood completely still,  
cold as a stone, and called mentally, (Who are you, and what do you want?)  
Slowly, the car doors swung open. Lucius had never paid much attention to the   
Night World fame list, but he was pretty sure the notorious Quinn got out of the driver's side,   
and the hunter, the Cat came out of the passenger seat.   
Now, he thought of runnung, but they'd just trap him. He wasn't sure quite what to   
do because they weren't attacking. The pair simply looked him over doubtfully, then at each  
other.   
"Shall I repeat my question?" asked Lucius rather politely. Out loud.  
"You are Lucius Armand." The ninja-outfitted girl intoned.  
"Yes. I am." He shifted his grip on the handle of his guitar case, smiling slightly. "Have  
you heard of me?"  
"As a matter of fact, we're here to take you in," said Quinn, approaching him.  
"And may I ask where?"   
"Circle Daybreak."  
Lucius snorted, then tried to pretend he didn't. "Sorry, but why?"  
"You're wanted," answered the Cat. Almost gently, she added, "We won't hurt you."  
He shrugged. CD was in Vegas, plenty of ex-lounge singers and slacking musicians.   
Perfect. But he was curious why they wanted him. Sure, because of his age, but he heard   
rumors that they were heavy into the soulmate principle. Actually, he had heard that these two were   
soulmates.   
"Well, I just need to go pack some of my stuff up in the loft." With that, he set his guitar down   
softly, carefully, next to the car. Then, he went into the apartment complex. It was messy, with pale   
Japanese lamps, and rather messy. He quickly gathered up some of his favorite clothes, and a few other  
necessities, then shut the lights and came back out to where Quinn and Rashel waited.   
"Ready." He loaded his suitcase and guitar into the trunk and sat down lazily into the back seat.  
Soon they were driving off to Portland, Maine, to catch a late-night flight to Las Vegas.   
"So," Lucius asked casually, "What do you know about me?"  
"Honestly," Quinn began. "Not much."  
Rashel added, "Just that you were an old vampire who looked straight off a punk rock CD cover,   
and your address."  
Lucius chuckled. "Huh." (Do I really look straight off a punk CD?)  
(Oh, yeah.) Quinn replied, keeping his eyes on the road as they passed a McDonald's.   
(So, how old do you think I am?)  
"I don't know, maybe a few centuries," Rasel said observantly.   
Lucious winked into the rearview mirror. "I was with Hannibal's troops crossing the Alps on  
elephants."  
"Well, you certainly don't look it." Rashel, concealing her surprise, laid her head on Quinn's   
shoulder, evidently trying to sleep.   
(Now, those were the days, seeing Rome rise like that....)  
Many hours later, the sun was rising over the Vegas strip. The night life cooled, and busy   
morning people were rising and trying to shine. Meanwhile, Lucius looked over Thierry's great mansion.  
He lifted his luggage, thankful he got it back.  
"Hmm. Quite a place he's got here." Unfazed, Lucius strolled in the front doors. 


	3. Default Chapter Title

  
  
Lucius had no trouble getting past the security guards. When he told them his name, they   
backed off. One of them told him to find room number 56. So he carried his luggage up the winding   
staircase into a long coridor. There, he found the numeral 56 on one door.   
Lucius peeked inside, taking in the dark blue walls, and matching bed, the golden oak trim  
and rustic finish. He quickly set down his belongings, and reverently opened the brown leather  
case. Inside, lay his guitar, a black fender that shone like onyx. He loved it, that guitar and the liberty of  
obeying no one but himself. And he certainly wouldn't let Circle Daybreak take away his freedom.   
Holding his guitar, he began to play a catchy melody, complex in its own, but simple to enjoy.   
He sensed someone outside his door, listening in. (Who is it?) he asked.  
The door opened. A young man sauntered in, no more than eighteen, Lucius's physical age.  
He was the same height, but thinner. His hair was glaringly bleach-white, picked into straight spikes.   
The color of his hair made his skin appear darker, but he was actually fairly pale. His eyes were a sharp   
hazel, almost blue-brown. A silver stud gleamed under his lip.  
"Hey," Lucius greeted.   
"Hey. Dimitri Frost." The boy had a thick New Yorkers' accent.  
"Lucius Armand."  
"Pleased to meet ya. Gawd, ya know, they don't let us smoke in here." He glanced about, then   
stealthily withdrew a cigarette from his pocket and lit it with a stainless steel lighter. Taking a drag, he asked,  
"Ya want a smoke?"  
"Nah, thanks." Lucius had smoked plently in all his millennia. The scent of tobacco reminded   
him of colonial times in the south.   
"Don't hurt us at all," Dimitri commented. "We don't get the diseases, our lungs work just fine,   
and we don't even get the cough."   
"Right on. So, what's a vampire like you doing in a goody two shoes place like this?"  
"They broght me in cuz I killed my soulmate. The bitch was a whiny, obnoxious little girl  
who was always hung all over me. So I told her I'd make her into a vamp, and I did, but I staked her  
when she woke up." Dimitri smirked as he remembered her shock and regret.  
"Dude, I did the same thing!" Lucius exclaimed. He had been soulmates with a girl named   
Charlotte when he lived in France centuries ago. She had been mushy and in love, but was so naive.   
Lucius hated the idea of being eternally tied to someone, so he did away with her. Forever. "Maybe  
that's why I'm stuck in this lil joint, too."  
Dimitri stamped out his cigarette. "I heard through the grape vine that they're gonna hold a   
trial for us 'criminals.' I been cooped for months now. I wuz thinkin' 'a' bustin' outta this place. Wanna   
come?"  
Lucius nodded. Circle Daybreak was big on the soulmate thingie. He was a drifter, a   
rogue, and maybe they were hoping to convert him. But his heart was dead and unbeating; he   
hadn't heard a peep of emotion for decades. And that made him glad.  
"You gonna perform tonight? Me, I'm a guitarist, too. Not quite as talented. They're   
bringing in a drummer and bassist tonight."  
"Why not? I'll be leaving soon."   
  
PLEASE REVIEW! 


	4. Default Chapter Title

"Punk, part Four (Free)"  
BY: J.L. Michaelsonn  
  
Disclaimer: Night World characters & principles belong to L.J. Smith. Umm...Songs belongs to   
Vast (Excellent goth-rock band!) and Good Charlotte (They are so incredibly talented, thoughtful,  
wonderful, and they totally kick ass! Simply one of the best pop-punk groups out there).   
Lucius Kevin Armand & Dimitri Adrian Frost belong to me, J.L. Michaelsonn.   
Bring to a full boil & enjoy!!  
  
Dimitri signalled Lucius at seven. He had changed his outfit; he now wore navy cargo  
pants and a black Hurley T-shirt. It covered some of his tatoos, but he didn't mind. He changed   
his piercings, putting a silver rod through below his lip, a ring through his eyebrow, and a stud in   
his nostril. He fixed his black and purple hair with gel so it spiked up just right. The metal chains   
remained aroung his neck and from his pants pockets. He peered at himself in the mirror, thinking   
momentarily of his long life, and how he managed not to show his age. He smirked devilishly.  
  
*It's time to laugh, it's time to cry*  
*It's time to be what you need to be*  
*It won't be long till they are gone*  
*And we can be what we wanna be*  
  
"Yo, Lucifer!" Dimitri called, using one of Lucius's ancient nicknames. He swiftly lifted his   
guitar and walked out of his room, locking the door behind him. His new friend grinned, wearing black   
pants and baseball shirt, which contasted with his white hair. Together, they moved to the Circle   
Daybreak den, where their stage was set up. As the pair of punks entered, the teenage couples stopped  
chattering and stared. A quick silence blossomed, then Lord Thierry approached them.  
"Greetings, Lucius, Dimitri. An honor to meet you." The blond shook their hands politely.  
"Ditto," Lucius retorted shortly. But he bowed his head slightly.  
"Won't you play a song for us?"  
"But of course, my lord," Dimitri piped up. Two other young men, made vampires that looked   
like the security guards Lucius had encountered, had a bass guitar and a drum set.   
  
*I wanna run from everything*  
*Everything that holds me down*  
*Nothing to win, nothing to lose*  
  
Within minutes, they were rockin'. Lucius took the lead vocals of a song he heard a year ago,   
but thoroughly loved. He thought the band VAST was a great melding of darkly lyrical rock mixed with the   
class of an orchestra. Lucius stood with the guitar posture of Tom Delonge.  
  
*You can't tell me what to do anymore*  
*You can't tell me what to do anymore*  
*Now I'm free*  
*Now I'm free*  
*Now I'm free*  
  
"Free" went on for a few more minutes. Then, Lucius nodded solemnly to Dimitri, who sent a mental  
sound gram to the drummer and bassist. He thought the couples would appreciate a slow song to dance  
to. He telepathically announced, (This is for the soulmates in the house.)  
  
*I an lost in the see-thru*  
*I think you lost yourself, too*  
*Throughout all of this confusion*  
*I hope I somehow get to you*  
"I practiced all the things I'd say*  
*To tell you how I feel*  
*And when I finally get my chance, it all seems so surreal*  
*Cuz from the first time I saw you, I only thought about you*  
*I didn't know you, I wanted to hold onto*  
*The things you'd never say to me*  
  
Lucius really shone during this song. He could never really entirely get his voice to sound  
like Jon Crosby, but he could easily slip into Good Charlotte's Joel vocals. And Dimitri sounded perfect  
as Benji for backup. Good Charlotte was a pure punk band, and Lucius hoped they'd go far. He and  
Dimitri interwove their guitar melodies, mixing in with the bass and drums.  
  
*Cuz you said: *  
*You can't change the way you feel*  
*(oh, I could never do that, I could never do that)*  
*But you can't tell me this ain't real, cuz this is real*  
*(And you would see right through that)*  
*In the end it's all I got*  
*(So I'ma hold onto that)*  
*So I'm gonna hold on and on and on and on*  
*On and on and on and on and on and on*  
  
The lights were low, and a disco ball spun, giving the large room a dance hall-type atmosphere.   
Everywhere Lucius looked, there was a couple with their arms around each other. He forced back a laugh.  
They were so into each other, it was ridiculous.   
  
*And now you got me watchin' your eyes*  
*(Watchin' just to see, watchin' just to see)*  
*Got me waiting just to see*  
*(If you'll ever look at me)*  
*If it goes the way it never will*  
*(But will it ever go, will it ever go my way?)*  
*Your eyes are watchin' me*  
*Oh, and now you've got me thinkin' 'bout the first time that I met you*  
*Standing in a crowded room, but I could only see you*  
*And I hope my words will get through, cuz now I can't forget you*  
*I wanna tell you, if only I could reach you*  
*And make you feel this way*  
*But you said: *  
*You can't change the way you feel*  
*(Oh, I could never do that, I could never do that)*  
*But you can't tell me this ain't real, cuz this is real*  
*(And you would see right through that)*  
*In the end it's all I got*  
*(So I'ma hold onto that)*   
*So I'm gonna hold on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on...*  
*On and on and on and on and on and on and on...*  
*Oh, on and on and on...*  
*Oh, on and on and on and on*  
  
The lights came back on. Lucius lifted his eyes to the crowd. The were applauding with   
genuine appreciation. Whitsles pierced the clapping occaisionally. Finally, it died down.   
Lucius Armand, the 2,237-year-old vampire said into the microphone, "Thank you."  
  
THAK YOU FOR READING. I HOPE YOU READ THE LYRICS, BECAUSE  
I FIND THEM EXTREMELY POIGENT. ANYWAY, PLEASE CONTINUE READING MY SERIES  
AND PLEASE REVIEW. I LOVE MY READERS!   
--J.L. MICHAELSONN =) 


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